Nets fans were clearly unhappy with head coach Jacque Vaughn following Wednesday’s 144-122 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Barclays Center. Their frustration had little to do with the final score.
Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton and Spencer Dinwiddie were all ruled out before tipoff because of rest, which left Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas as the only active starters for Brooklyn.
Bridges played the entire first quarter and extended his NBA-best consecutive games streak to 423. However, he sat for the final 36 minutes and made his vexation known in the locker room afterward. Thomas, who finished with eight points, played all but five seconds in the first quarter and did not return to the game.
While fans thought that Brooklyn should have played its main guys more, Vaughn saw it as an opportunity to get his lesser-used players more experience. He stood by that stance postgame. And the truth is, more positives came out of it than people realize.
“I coached these dudes as hard as I could tonight, because they deserved it,” Vaughn said. “And each dude that stepped on the floor, they deserve to be coached and they deserve to be on the floor tonight.”
There is no question that youngsters such as Jalen Wilson, Trendon Watford and Keon Johnson took full advantage of the opportunity that was given to them. As did rookie center Noah Clowney, who finished with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting with four rebounds in his first taste of extended action in the NBA.
“I was nervous coming in,” Clowney said. “Obviously a good team, a lot of big guys, I was a little nervous coming in. But once I got out there, it’s just being comfortable and knowing I can compete at this level.”
The Nets are a rebuilding team that could look completely different by the Feb. 8 trade deadline. The entire roster will remain under a microscope in the time in between. It is up to Vaughn and general manager Sean Marks to decide who will be a part of the team’s future and who is expendable.
While guys like Bridges and Thomas may not be happy with the minutes they played, Wednesday’s game against Milwaukee was a perfect opportunity to see what the rest of the roster was made of — and the team certainly learned a lot.
To say Vaughn threw the game does not sit right. He has faith in his players, from Bridges to Armoni Brooks. Milwaukee, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference entering the night, led by just eight points through three quarters while the Nets were using mainly rookies and reserves on two-way contracts. The Bucks obviously pulled away in the fourth quarter, but Vaughn’s guys competed and their effort deserves some credit.
Wilson’s motor was on display at both ends of the court for almost 30 minutes. Fans watched him haul in 10 rebounds (seven on offense), make all 11 of his free throw attempts and finish with a team-high 21 points. How else would they understand what he is capable of if Vaughn did not give him a chance to compete?
Watford further showcased his offensive versatility. Clowney, the No. 21 pick, may be closer to being a regular contributor for the Nets than previously thought. And even Keon Johnson wowed with his jaw-dropping athleticism and aggressive drives to the rim.
A loss is a loss. And perhaps the game would have had a different result if Nets starters played their usual allotment of minutes. But Wednesday’s game served as an opportunity for growth and the progress was clear.
Vaughn and Marks have it on tape. Now, what will they do with this information?
